Riley's Box

Part 50

"Jason," I said, as I continued to sketch the beach, where we would be going in the next few days, in an attempt to find a shadow spirit. That just so happened to be a creature that came from Hell, with plans to take over the world as we knew it. "Jason Zircon, I can feel you looking at me, you know?" I asked him. 

I then heard him release a soft chuckle. 

"What're you drawing, Riles?" he asked me. 

"The beach. That's our next destination," I replied. 

"Ooh! Remind me to bring suntan lotion," Adina said. 

Guttur grinned. 

"I love the beach. What's not to love? There's burgers and ice cream and...seaweed," he said. 

"He'd probably eat a live crab, if he got the chance to do it," Invidia said, as she slumped down onto the bed, to sit beside me. 

Now, there was an interesting mental picture. 

"Jase," Adina said then, getting his attention. "JJ," she continued. 

He raised an eyebrow at her. 

"Are you coming with us?" she asked him. 

Jason gave a nod of his head in answer to that question. Of course, he was going to come with us. He would go anywhere that I went. He had to now, anyway. We were both on this mission together. 

"Jay," I said then, to get his attention. I hadn't called him that since we were younger, so it works, of course. 

Jason turned to me and smiled. 

"Yes, Riley?" he asked. 

"I'm hungry. Are you hungry?" I asked him. 

His stomach rumbled then, promptly answering my question sooner than he could say a word. 

I smirked. 

"Sins, I'll see you all in a moment," I said. 

They returned the sentiment and it was then time for Jason and I to make our way downstairs and into the kitchen, where we prepared a few cheese toasties together. I knew that I needed to start eating less cheese. I had been trying to be a vegan, but it hadn't been a very successful venture, if I could even call it that.

Immediately after our cheese toasties were fully prepared, we got to work on devouring them. They were so, so good. How could any of the other sandwiches even begin to compete? The answer to that question was a simple one: they couldn't. 

"I want another," Jason said. 

I chuckled. 

"How is it that every sixteen year old boy I know seems to have the largest appetite ever?" I asked. 

"Hey, I'll have you know I'm a growing boy," Jason replied, with a kind twinkle in his gorgeous eyes. I could honestly get lost in them. Maybe I should ask Jason for a map. 

Needless to say, I wouldn't be asking for an actual map, just one to get out of his eyes- not that I minded being lost in them all that much. 

Jason had a point, though. He was only slightly under six foot. He really was a growing boy and I was glad to be able to help provide him with the fuel that he needed. 

I reached out and grabbed Jason's bicep then and squeezed it slightly. It was a shameless flirting technique that I had seen on the television many times before, but Jason didn't seem to mind. 

"How did you get so toned?" I asked him. He was so toned, all the while being so skinny. It was unfair. Was he a human teenaged boy or a bean pole? 

Jason shrugged in partial response to my question. He finished his last bite of cheese toastie and then spoke again. "I work out," he said. 

"To impress Susie?" I asked him. It was only a joke. 

He shook his head. 

"I actually started working out to see if you would notice. I wasn't sure why I cared so much, at first, but now I do know," he said. His mouth quirked into a smile. 

In response to that, I ruffled through his slightly tousled chocolate-brown hair. 

Jason didn't seem to mind. 

In fact, his eyes fluttered closed, as if the gesture relaxed him. 

It was my turn to smile. 

His eyes soon opened up again and I was immediately struck by how gorgeous they were, like actual jewels. Was he a teenaged boy or a male model? All good questions. Did I mention that he also didn't need glasses? Completely unfair. He really had appeared to win the genetic lottery. 

Aside from that, as Jason wiped away at some cheese on near his lips, I was instantly drawn to how soft they were. I always noticed his lips. Hell, why was he making me want to kiss him even more? 

"Let's go back upstairs," Jason said, drawing my attention back up to his eyes. 

I responded with a simple nod, and the two of us soon walked back up to my room.

Avidicci greeted the both of us with a kind smile. 

"Do you have any cheese toasties left?" he asked. 

"I uh..." I trailed off. 

A few moments later, Guttur and Avidicci were sat down in the kitchen with us, eating their own cheese toasties. 

Jason and I made them. We really were a good team, when we worked together. 

"Now, I understand that you two are busy with school tomorrow. So, I think that we should wait a little while before we try to find the shadow spirits," Avidicci said, as he finished the cheese toastie. 

My parents had left for work by this point (thank goodness). Of course, my dad already knew part of what was going on, but we still needed to keep everything hidden from my mom. 

If she knew that literal beings for Hell were under her roof...I wasn't sure I wanted to know the end of that sentence, actually. 

"I'm the leader. What I say goes, and we're not gong to leave without the two of you there," he said. 

I met him with a warm smile, then. 

Considering Avidicci was the sin of greed and everything, he really wasn't so bad.